A truck driver without a Commercial Driver’s License struck a bridge in Michigan on Tuesday morning, seriously damaging the bridge and the backhoe he was hauling.
The accident happened on April 24th at approximately 8:10 a.m. in Genesee County, Michigan.
Mt. Morris Township Police say that the semi truck was hauling a backhoe along Interstate 75 southbound when it struck the Coldwater Road overpass, ripping the backhoe off the trailer and damaging one of the beams on the bridge.
Luckily, no one was injured in the accident but police did discover that the truck driver, whose identity has not been released, did not possess a CDL at the time of the accident. The semi truck was then impounded and the driver was cited for improper height, improper license, and failing to possess a CDL, reported WNEM News.
The Michigan Department of Transportation says that the overpass is marked at 14 feet, 1 inch, but that it is slightly taller than that to allow for some “wiggle room.” Still, they say that the load struck by the unlicensed driver was “significantly over” that height.
“This kind of continued negligence is a strain on our resources and both dangerous and inconvenient for motorists,” MDOT said in a statement.
All lanes of southbound I-75 were shut down for about four hours as crews worked to clear the debris and inspect the damage done to the bridge, which will require repairs at a later date.